Method of producing articles from fibrous-pulp material



May 15, 1928. 6 1,669,426

G. E. SHAW METHOD OF PRODUCING ARTICLES FROM FIBROUS PULP MATERIAL Filed April 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IVVEWTOR.

A TTORN E Y May 15, 1928.

G. E. SHAW METHOD OF PRODUCING ARTICLES FROM FIBROUS PULP MATERIAI Filed April 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tnaoanulana ocean-0000c o 0 00000000 /no coooooaa 00 09000000 m uooouoaa oaaoaauo o o oon o a n o o o 009 00: a

INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

male and female dies.

Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,669,426 PATENT orrica.

. GEORGE E. SHAW, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF PRODUCING ARTICLES FROM FIBROUS-PULP MATERIAL.

Application 11 s April 12, 1923. Serial No. 631,540.

My invention relates generally to methods of and means for producing articles fromfibrous pulp material, but in some of its aspects it relates more particularly to the production of relief work.

It has not been possible heretofore to pro-' duce relief work directly from the fibrous pulp material. When relief work of any depth is desired it has heretofore been the pressed it is in the form of a hollow or cup I shaped article which it is difficult to mount or handle satisfactorily without applying a filling material. The objections to the method of producing relief articles is such that the are but little used.

t is an object of my invention to provide a method ofand means whereby relief ar-.

ticles can be formed directly from the fibrous pulp materials, thus eliminating the intermediate or paper makingstep.

It is also an object of my invent on to provide a method of and means for producing relief articles from fibrous pulp material wherewith delicate, artistic lines maybe accurately formed and shaped in the pulp material. I

Again I aim to provide a method of and means for the manufacture of relief articles directly from the fibrous pulp material; which articles shall emerge as a solid block or compress and in such shape that-it can be conveniently handled, mounted or otherwise manipulated.

My invention consists generally in a meth 0d of and means whereby the above named objects, together with others that will appear hereinafter are attainable,,and my invention will be more readily understood byreference, to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the method of manufacture and mechanism suitable for practicing the same. r i

In sa d drawings:

tion"; the movable plunger die being shown in its outer position.

. Fig. 2 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating one step in the manufacture of the article.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2' but illus- -trating the parts in the position which they occupy when the article has been completely formed.

Fig. 4 is, aview showing the parts in the position which they occupy whenth'e' article is to be removed from the machine.

Fig. 5 is a face view of a perforated plate;

and Fig. 6 is a face view of a wire screen,

which parts are attached to the face of the movable plunger die.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of part of the -machine shown in theright hand side of Fig. 4 with the die member and its containin box removed.

ig. 8 is a perspective view of the die box.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the die box with the die positioned therein.

Fig. 10 is a face view of the embossed or relief article produced by the machine and process and Fig. 11 is a sectional view substantially along line 11--11 of Fig. 10.

My invention may be used for the manufacture of a variety of articles, of different sizes, shapes and configurations, but I have chosen to illustrate the manufacture of an article in relief in the nature of a medallion. This however, should be considered as by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. 7

The machine, as here shown, comprises a cylinder 1 within which there operates a piston (not shown) and from one end of which there extends a piston plun er 2 that is attached to the piston just re erred to. The parts 1 and 2 may be designated as a fluid-engine designed to be operable by any liluid fluid such as steam, air, water or'the. li e, and since itmay be of usual and wellknown, construction, no detailed description thereof need be given. At its end the plunger 2 carries a plate3 to which there is secured a plunger die 4. The plunger die 4 is provided with a cored o ning 5, thus formm a chamber between t e plate 3 and thezwa lsof the plunger die 4. Flexible tubes 6 and? lead to and from the chamber 5 so that any desired heating, cooling or Fig. 1 is a machine emhodyingmy other mediummay .be conducted-to and from the chamber 5 for the better functionin" of the die.

The remaining parts of the machine are the stationary die block 8, the pulp receiving chamber 9 and the pulp-hopper 10. Mounted in the stationary die block 8 is a die and die box of novel construction. The die box in this instance, comprises an angular metal frame 11 of a size adapted snugly tofitinto the chamber formed in the member 9 and havin a bottom wall 9. In one wall of the mem er 11 there is formed a plurality of grooves or ducts 12, which serve as drainage conduits, the purpose of which will be better understood shortly.

In order-to produce the die, which also must be provided with ample means of drainage, I place a pluralit of rods 13 through the opposite end wa ls of the box 11 (only one being shown in place and another being inserted in Fi 8) and then force the material of which t e die is formed under pressure and into the box 11. To this'end the box 11 is preferably placed upon some fiat supporting surface with the face 14 upwardly; the material forming the body of the die placed therein substantially flush with the top face 14 and by then bringing in contact with the die material a device bearing the shape or configuration which it is desired to reproduce in the medallion or other relief article being formed. Of course, in the present instance, the article would be of the shape and configuration shown in the Figs. 10 and 11. The die forming device should preferably be mounted on a flat plate of a size sufiicient to extend over the face 14 of the box 11 and if desired the box 11 may be provided with slots or recesses in its face 14 so that the surplus material may exude therethrough. The die material 15 ma be made of a number of different materia s, but it must be one that will permit of the passage of water, air, steam and the like, therethrough. It should also be a material which does not disintegrate when heated and which will stand a considerable working pressure. While having these characteristics, it should also have the capacity of being formed into a working surface of smooth texture so that the article to be formed will present a pleasin appearance. Biscuit porcelain is one suitable material for this purpose, which it will be understood is placed in the box 11 as before described with the rods 13 in place and after the diesurface has been formed therein under pressure the rods 13' are removed, thus forming vertical drainage ducts 16 which communicate with the ducts 12 which ducts 12, in turn, communicate with the discharge openings 17 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4). It should also be understood that after the porcelain or other die material has been placed and formed in the box it is heated or baked, thus making, it hard and well adapted to withstand the necessary pressure when used for the formation of relief articles.

As another material suitable for the formation of the die, I may name a mixture comprising one part of Portland cement and two parts of crushed quartz, crushed fine but not quite so fine as the cement, say to about such a degree of fineness as will permit it to pass through a ninety mesh screen. This is only intended to be a general statement of the degree of fineness, which may be varied. Instead of the crushed quart-z, natural silica,

sand or other suitable material may be used- In making the die the cement and quartz or other material, is, of course, suitably mixed with water and placed in the die box when in plastic condition whereupon the other steps referred to when considering porcelain as the die material are followed.

The pulp chamber 9 is hollow and the inner contour thereof corresponds to the outline of the article to be produced. It is adapted to be detacha'bly secured to the stationary die block 8, to this end having formed therein openin s, through which tapering pins 18 (carried by the member 9 project. The pulp chamber is provided wit a receiving opening 19 which is alined with the discharge or outlet of a hopper 10, a gateor valve 21 being provided to regulate the flow of pulp. The remaining structural characteristics of the machine and the mode and operation of the method will be best understood by a description of the production of an article therein.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, at which time the plunger die will be spaced from the pulp receiving chamber 9, fluid is admitted to the fluid engine, moving the plunger die to the right to a position substantially as shown in Fig. 2. At this time the fibrous pulp material 22 is admitted by means of the gate or valve 21. It should be understood that the fibrous pulp material, at this time, contains a very large percentage of water, at times as much as eigthy percent. There may also be trapped in the mixture, air, steam or other gases. Assuming now that the fibrous pulp material is in the machine as shown in Fig. 2, power is again applied'to push the plunger die 4 further to the right, thus compressing and packing the pulp material. As the pulp is compressed, it becomes more dense or solidified and offers more and more resistance to the passage of water, steam, and gases therethrough. Unless especial means he provided the water, steam, air or other gases would tend to trap in the fine crevices 23 of the die, which would prevent the movement of the pulp material thereinto with the result that an imperfect article would result. This would be so, r matter what the pressure applied might be since the water in the pulp is practically incompressible. By my novel method and by the means which I have employed, however, the pulp material while still in the relatively liquidthe pulp material articles or other work having deep relief such for example as the medallion 24, best shown in Figs. 10 and 11. While I have not described the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it is thought that they are obvious. Fig. 3 merely illustrates the position of the plunger die at the limit of its right hand movement with the article completely formed therein and Fig. 4, shows the plunger die withdrawn and carrying with it the pulp chamber. The purpose of this is to permit the ready removal of the manufactured article without danger of injury thereto, but forms no part of the present invention, but on the contrary is covered by an application which I now have pend- 111.

I have referred to the drainage through the die and I might also refer to the drainage that obtains through the perforated plate 25 and the wire screen or gauze 26 that are mounted upon the plunger die 4. I have thus provided a method and means for the production of articles in relief directly from fibrous pulp material.

From the foregoing it is evident that the die material will take up water readily by absorption and that when the semi-liquid pulp is under a pressure of about two hundred pounds to the square inch, the water and air pass through the die body quickly. It should also be stated that because of the extreme fineness of the pores all fine parti-.

cles of solid matter are left on the face of the die and incorporated with and constitute the face of the article being formed. This is one reason for the fine smooth texture of articles produced by my process. Obviously since the solid particles do not penetrate the die to any substantial extent the pores of the die remain open.

The many advantages thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this vappertainswithout further comment.

I claim 1. The method of producing a die for use in the manufacture of articles from fibrous pulpmaterial that consists in providing a box-like frame, having removable elements traversing the same, in placing a plastic cementitious material therein and forming an impression surface in 'said material, then permitting said die to harden and thereafter removing said removable members thereby providing drainage passages in another'face of the die.

2. The method of producing a die for use in the manufacture of articles from fibrous pulp material that consists in providing a. box-like frame, having removable elements traversing the same, in placing a plaster cementitious material therein and forming an impression surface in said material, then permitting said die to harden, in then removing said removable members whereby drainage passages are formed in another face of the die'and in then subjecting the die to heat. 7

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 9th day of April, 1923.

GEORGE E. SHAW. 

